This invention relates, in general, to electronic components and, more particularly, to smartcards and methods of making the same.
Smartcards are electronic components that have been developed to help facilitate high volume consumer transactions. For example, smartcards are used to record the number of fares on a bus pass. When a consumer boards a bus, the smartcard is placed in a smartcard reader and one credit is deducted from the consumer's account.
One type of smartcards is known as contactless smartcards. Contactless smartcards operate by simply placing the smartcard within close proximity to a smartcard reader. Contactless smartcards do not require the smartcard to be placed in a reader so the processing of the transaction can be expedited. One application for contactless smartcards is in toll booths. Each properly equipped automobile has a contactless smartcard and, as the automobile pass through the toll booth, a smartcard reader uses radio frequency (RF) transmissions to energize the card and deduct one fare from the consumer's account.
Typical contactless smartcards contain a semiconductor device which is used to store account information and to process each transaction. Contactless smartcards also have an antennae that is formed by wrapping a wire in a spiral pattern. The RF power collected by the antennae charges a discrete capacitor to power the semiconductor device and to ensure that the smartcard operates at the proper frequency.
The addition of discrete capacitors introduces a reliability concern for smartcards. Smartcards are typically carried in wallets, purses, or pockets and can be subjected to significant physical stress. The material used to make discrete capacitors is not very flexible and can break under stress. The failure of the capacitor destroys the functionality of the smartcard, and results in the consumer's loss of the information stored on the smartcard.
By now it should be appreciated that it would be advantageous to provide a contactless smartcard that did not require the use of discrete capacitors. It would also be advantageous if the method used to form the smartcard was more economically efficient than the conventional method of forming traditional smartcards.